2000
#10,831
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,701
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.00
Rare Last name
Merida
A Spanish toponymic surname referring to a person from the city of Mérida in Extremadura, Spain.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,164 Americans carry the last name Merida. That puts it at #7,151 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.51 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 66,374 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Merida surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
5.2K
1 in 66,374
Census rank
#7,151
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,503 bearers of the surname Merida in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.51 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7151st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Merida, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 81.9%. The next largest groups are White (13.0%) and Black (3.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Merida
The surname Merida is of Spanish origin and dates back to the 15th century. It is derived from the name of the city of Merida, which is located in the western Spanish region of Extremadura. The city's name itself can be traced back to the Latin word 'Emerita', meaning 'the emeritus' or 'the veteran'.
Merida was an important Roman settlement, founded in 25 BC as a colony for retired soldiers. It was known as Emerita Augusta during the Roman era. The city's historical significance and the presence of the surname in this area suggest that the name may have originated from a person or family who lived in or had connections to the city of Merida.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Merida can be found in the Libro de las Behetrías de Castilla, a 14th-century document that recorded the ownership of land in the Kingdom of Castile. The document mentions the name "Juan Merida" as a landowner in the region.
Another notable historical figure with the surname Merida was Pedro de Merida (c. 1500-1565), a Spanish conquistador who participated in the conquest of Guatemala. He was one of the first Europeans to explore and settle in the region.
In the 17th century, Juan de Merida (1617-1685) was a Spanish painter and sculptor who worked in Seville. His works can be found in various churches and museums across Spain.
Later, in the 18th century, José de Merida (1722-1798) was a Spanish military officer who served in the Spanish Royal Navy. He participated in several naval battles during the American Revolutionary War and rose to the rank of Lieutenant General.
Another notable figure with the surname Merida was Manuel Merida (1808-1880), a Mexican lawyer and politician who served as the Governor of the state of Yucatan in the mid-19th century.
While the surname Merida is most prevalent in Spain and Latin American countries with Spanish heritage, it has also spread to other parts of the world through migration and immigration. However, the name's roots can be traced back to the historic city of Merida in western Spain, where it is believed to have originated.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Merida
Among Census respondents with the surname Merida, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 81.9%. The next largest groups are White (13.0%) and Black (3.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Merida bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Merida surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino81.9% · 3,690
- White13.0% · 586
- Black or African American3.2% · 146
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 36
- Two or more races0.8% · 36
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 9
Timeline
Historical Census data for Merida
Merida appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#7,536
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,411
+1,710 bearers (+63.3%)
Per 100,000 1.50
Rank movement Up 3,295 places
2020
#7,151
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,503
+92 bearers (+2.1%)
Per 100,000 1.51
Rank movement Up 385 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,831 | 2,701 | 1.00 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,536 | 4,411 | 1.50 | +1,710 bearers (+63.3%) | Up 3,295 places |
| 2020 | #7,151 | 4,503 | 1.51 | +92 bearers (+2.1%) | Up 385 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Merida surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #7,536 | #7,151 | 5.1% |
| Count | 4,411 | 4,503 | 2.1% |
| Per 100K | 1.50 | 1.51 | 0.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Merida bearers went from 4,411 to 4,503 (+2.1% change). The surname moved up 385 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,536 to #7,151.
FAQ
Merida surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Merida?
Name Census estimates that about 5,164 living Americans carry the surname Merida. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 66,374 residents.
How common is Merida?
Merida ranks #7,151 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.51 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,503 people with the surname Merida. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,164), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.51 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.51 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Merida.
Has Merida become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Merida went from 4,411 recorded bearers to 4,503. That is an increase of 92 (+2.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #7,536 to #7,151.
What does the Census say about the background of Merida?
Among Census respondents with the surname Merida, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 81.9%. The next largest groups are White (13.0%) and Black (3.2%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Merida in the 2020 Census, accounting for 81.9% (3,690 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Merida appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (81.9%), White (13.0%), Black (3.2%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Merida (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Merida mean?
A Spanish toponymic surname referring to a person from the city of Mérida in Extremadura, Spain. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Merida (1.51 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the surname Merida?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.